If you own a truck or SUV, you must understand the importance of having running boards on the vehicle. These are accessories that give you and your passengers an easy time entering and exiting your vehicle, particularly the short individuals.
There are ordinary units that are permanently fixed underneath the car. At the same time, there are electric retractable boards that automatically come out when you open the door and retract when you close it. The latter is the most stylish and effective unit out there, and we shall guide you on how to operate such.
For instance, how do you turn it off? Find out more in this piece that we have put together.
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How to Enable or Disable Running Boards on your Vehicle
The electric running boards are designed such that you can set them to deploy and retract, remain retracted automatically, or remain deployed all through.
If you want to alter any of the running board settings, head over to the touchscreen and press ‘Features.’ After that, hit ‘Power Running Board’ before touching the ‘Running Board (Modes).’
Here, you will have three modes to choose from, including Off, Auto, and Out. Let’s briefly look at what these different modes are supposed to do.
Out
Here, the boards will remain deployed while the door position will not matter.
Off
With this mode, the boards will remain stowed, still regardless of the door’s position.
Auto Mode
The running boards will deploy when you unlock or open the door and when you approach the car with remote control.
Additionally, the boards will stow:
- Several seconds after you close the doors
- When you unlock the door without opening it
- When you switch on the Approach Detection, and you do not open the door before the Auto timer setting has expired
Also, keep in mind that an option will be displayed when you choose this mode whereby you can select how long you want the running boards to stay deployed without opening the door.
Approach Detection
When you turn on this mode with the Auto still on, the boards will deploy any time you approach your car with remote control.
Kick Switch
With this feature, you can deploy and stow the running boards without opening or shutting the door.
When using the Kick Switch, the running board mode will change until you press the Kick Switch once again.
Changing the Kick Switch Settings
If you want to change the Kick Switch settings, head over to features and then Power Running Board. Here, you will have the option of choosing between ‘Always Active’ or ‘Only While Unlocked.’
Always Active
The Kick Switch remains on despite the doors being locked or unlocked.
Only While Unlocked
With this option, the Kick Switch will be on only when the doors are unlocked.
Advantages of Using Retractable Running Boards
With the electric running boards, individuals who would typically have a challenge getting into and out of taller vehicles, such as kids, the elderly, short people, and pregnant women, will find things more comfortable.
This is because the retractable boards usually stretch to lower levels relative to the permanently fixed ones.
Another benefit is that the units hide underneath the vehicle when the door closes so that the ground clearance remains intact.
Lastly, if the boards are unsightly, you can be sure that they won’t be sticking out of your truck as you drive around.
Drawbacks
Power running boards are excellent products to invest in. However, they also have some issues that would discourage you from going for them.
First, they are not the easiest to clean since the door has to open for them to come out. Luckily, some boards have a ‘car wash’ switch that allows you to clean them with the door closed.
Then, tall people may find it weird that the running board comes out anytime the door opens.
You can clearly see that the said disadvantages are minor inconveniences that anyone can put up with.
Wrapping It Up
We hope that our article has given you sufficient education on handling power running boards in general. These units may be pricier than the fixed models, but we believe they are worth every extra cent that they cost. You can now enjoy the services that power running boards have to offer without them providing too much inconvenience.